Tom Clark signte mit Sebo K., James Flavour und Guido Schneider zuerst vor allem Freunde und Bekannte aus dem gro§en DJ Pool der Berliner Clubszene. Mit Todd Bodine, Jens Bond, Dub Taylor oder Daniel Dreier, fand sich dann die zweite Generation der Highgrade Familie zusammen.

Immer galt es neue Künstler, wie Format:B oder Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner zu entdecken. Der Anspruch dabei: Der Sound muss bei den ersten Takten überzeugen und den Clubtest überstehen. Dabei reicht das Spektrum von sexy deepen House Tracks bis zu knisternden Minimal Loops. “Wir veröffentlichen keine Musik, über die man auf dem Sofa philosophieren soll, unsere Platten müssen im Club funktionieren”, sagt A & R Todd Bodine. Mit ihm und Mariana Luzardo hat sich Tom Clark die richtigen Partner gesucht, um das Label weiter voran zu bringen. Mittlerweile sind sie aus dem Wohnzimmer in ein Friedrichshainer Büro gezogen. Der familiäre Charakter ist geblieben.

Der enorme Output von Highgrade zeugt von einer talentierten Familienbande: Jeden Monat, erscheint eine Vinyl- und eine Digitalveröffentlichung. Mindestens zwei Künstleralben pro Jahr kommen dazu. Angriff ist die beste Verteidigung, in Zeiten in denen andere Labels ihr Programm auf Digital Releases einschränken. Highgrade setzt weiterhin auf elektronische Tanzmusik mit hohen Anspruch und gleichzeitiger Dancefloortauglichkeit. Dabei entsteht ein großes Releasespektrum, das sich nicht um Genregrenzen schert, sondern nur um musikalische Highlights und Individualität. Auf deutschland- und weltweiten Labelpartys und Clubtouren, werden die Highgrade Artists weiterhin diese Soundvisionen live und hinter den Turntables erlebbar machen. So bestimmt das Label den frischen und immer wieder Überraschenden Sound der Stadt mit.

Gerade in der noch nicht abgeschlossenen Entwicklung des digitalen Marktes, besteht das Label auf seinen Independentcharakter. Zur Stärkung dessen bietet Highgrade seinen Künstlern ein Komplettpaket an. “Wir wollen zeigen, dass die klassische Labelarbeit und das Artistmanagement weiterhin notwendig sind”, sagt Mariana Luzardo, Labelmanagerin bei Highgrade. Die hauseigene Bookingagentur kümmert sich deswegen in enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Artists um ihre Gigs und ihre künstlerische Weiterentwicklung.

An insatiable passion for music was ignited at an early age, with Tom spending any of his spare cash on a wide range of music. For as long as he can remember he has been playing his record collection to friends. Using two tape recorders and a lone turntable he mixed up a fusion of hip hop, rock and disco at his school parties. Black music was to be a defining influence as were the jacking beats of Chicago house and the soulful strains of Detroit techno.

A progression to clubs followed with Tom and a group of friends holding their own night every Tuesday. It was there where Tom was discovered as a DJ and was asked to spin at the many aft11hourparties being held in the city. There his reputation grew with clubbers often missing the main event in order to be fresh for his sets. Residencies at the infamous clubs E-Werk and Tresor followed where Tom supported the world’s elite of house and techno artists. At the moment he is playing regular at the Watergate Club. His hectic DJ schedule has had him playing in almost every European country including several tours of Australia, rocking venues as diverse as small intimate clubs to large open air festivals. His sets build gradually in intensity, encompassing a wide range of moods and sounds that showcase his innate sense of dancefloor dynamics. His music style varies between deep minimal tech/house, detroit techno, and back to house.

Production of electronic music was a natural progression and in 1997 he co-founded Gold Plate Music, a highly influential addition to the city’s label scene. In 2000 Tom went his own way and initiated Highgrade Records. It was kicked off in response to the perception that the quality of house music had been in gradual decline with the ambitious charter of taking the music to the next level. Although Tom owns and runs the label he envisages it as more of a collective of like-minded artists and Djs whom also happen to be close friends. Although the label is now known as pushing a stripped back, bottom heavy, house sound expect to hear downbeat and even slightly tougher records encompassing techno sounds on up-coming releases.

Apart from Tom’s prodigious output on his own labels he has also recorded for Morris/Audio (releasing his debut album “King Tide” in 2003), Superbra, Rampe D and completed remixes for Alexander Kowalski and D.Diggler and several others garnering praise from the music press and his peers alike. In 2006 he releasesd his second album (service station).

But that’s just one side of Todd’s musical activities, being a DJ on the floors of international known clubs in Barcelona, Paris, Tokyo or Rio de Janeiro, just to name a few. Beside this career he’s active as a producer since the year 2001 – and that with great success.

At the beginning stood releases on the Berlin based Cabinet Record, followed by releases on Tom Clark’s Highgrade Records, the swiss Morris Audio label and last but not least: Tresor Records. With Tom Clark he shares a longterm creative friendship, which is by all means not the only reason why Todd Bodine is an essential part of the Highgrade-artists-family, thus beeing one of the most profilic musicians from that label.

Beside several EP’s, Todd Bodine allready did two albums: “Different Engines” was released in 2005 on Morris Audio, followed by “Surfaces” one year later on Tresor. Two hihglights in Todd’s discography for sure, but clearly not the end. Other EPs on Treibstoff Records or Claude van Strokes Mothership label are belonging to his portfolio too. As well as a couple of remixes and releases on international known labels like Immigrant (Manchester) or Sub Conce (Spain). As if this is not enough, Todd works together with several musical buddies: Dub Taylor (a.k.a. Tigerskin), DJ FX from Berlin or the Frankfurt based Highgrade-newcomer Ludwig Coenen.

In march 2007 it was about time to take the next level of putting his musical visions into practice. After half a year of preparing it, Todd began to perform as liveact. He started this with a big bang – with playing live at Berlin’s finest – the Panorama Bar. Another very successfull project of Todd was born. So he plays for instance both as a liveact and as a DJ across many floors all over Europe on the “Our Thing” clubtour 2008 to the Highgrade jubilee.

Without a doubt Todd Bodine has his own place in the rows of Berlins most important producers – on the one side as a heavily booked DJ, on the other side as a profilic producer or as an energetic live performing artist – whatever he’s about, “it has to rock!”

His sets combine freaky funky deep and minimal house and techno always themed by the motto: ‘Joy keeps us being curious’!

The current residencies of Daniel in Berlin are at Panoramabar, Watergate and Bar 25! This speaks for itselve! On the production site he is very busy at the moment too. Daniel has different projects running: Phage & Daniel Dreier (Highgrade, Klang Elektronik), with Tom Clark (Highgrade), with Lee Jones (MyMy) and own releases as Daniel Dreier are planned for 2009.

Jens Bond made himself a name as a dance floors all around Europe. His hand for the right sound at the right time plus his sixth sense for the right rhythm played their part in his success.

His nose for crisp rhythm patterns and his faible for hypnotic melodies make in his own productions stand out. His various releases on Berlin’s most profilic labels as Pokerflat, Sender or Highgrade, not to mention on the English imprint Immigrant Records, speak for themselves. His tracks cum all over the floor with airy funk, without ever being all too functional. It’s no big surprise that Bond belongs to Highgrade core artists, he plays a major part in defining the label’s sound.

But that is not all. He releases with Benno Blome (as Bond & Blome) or with Guido Schneider are very popular. His debut with Schneider on Pokerflat – “Oh my buffer” – from back in 2004 still fills the dance floors today. Bond is all but a flash in the pan, his releases are catchy and solid. He keeps us in suspense about his musical future, his mission is far from being accomplished.

In 2004 he opened a record shop in Sibiu together with other DJ friends. At that time, he continued to develop his own style, a combination of deep house and tech house. He achieved a solid position in the techno scene, and his tracks were play- ed on various radio shows and dj sets. In the meantime, Markus lives in Moscow and Hong Kong. His intercultural experiences flow into his own tracks and remixes which he produces with his partner Mihai Popoviciu.

Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner crossed paths in 2003, after being part of the early techno movement in the nineties, where they had their first experiences in DJing, producing and organizing Techno parties. The musical chemistry clicked into place and they became fast friends, roommates, and in 2005, label bosses of their first label: Tonkonsum. Three releases later, in summer 2006, they had their first hit with “You Are I” on their second label – Supdub. Since then Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner have produced almost twenty releases and remixes on several hot labels.

In 2007 they found a home base and a familiar crew at Highgrade Records, whose musical philosophy matches their own. They’ve made their name on Highgrade with two successful EPs and a digital release, all of which have left us craving for more!

Heinrichs & Hirtenfellners music combines dry and carefully structured minimal funk with infinite influences that take them well beyond the pigeon-hole. Buzzing house grooves here, dubby basslines there, and in between cruising jazz samples or swirling oriental sounds. German music critics have credited them with a “fresh sound”, which “combines the new Chicago with minimal abstraction”.

In the past few years Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner have played in clubs like Watergate, Arena Club, Bar25 and Panorama Bar. They have also rocked international clubbers in Amsterdam, Moskau, and Madrid. A glance at their booking schedule proves that they are one of Germanys most sought after new acts.

With their debut album “Dark Orbit” on Highgrade (May 2009) Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner are entering a major new phase, simultaneously starting their new live show. We wait with baited breath to see where in the musical universe the duo will go next.

While living and working in China, Simon was so disturbed by the lack of quality music in clubs that he started playing it himself. After moving back to New Zealand he discovered his friends had also developed a passion for house and techno music and got together to promote a series of parties and club nights with a focus on quality music and DJ’s unwilling to compromise their musical tastes.

Simon first came to Berlin in 2004 to play gigs in various clubs, including a set at the original Tresor. He returned to play New Years Eve 2005, and made the move to Berlin permanently in 2006. The unique party culture and the vast array of musical expression in the city are a huge inspiration to any artist and Simon Beeston is no exception. You can often find him dancing near the front of the club until the last record spins!

Simon has been producing music for seven years and continues to push his sound in new directions. Influenced by house, techno and minimal, it would be difficult to put his music into any one category, but his tracks always have both feet on the dance floor , an irresistible groove and a unique array of samples and sounds. As a DJ Simon plays a bionic, club moving mix of tech house, techno, and house, full of subtle musical hooks and crunchy percussion. His innate ability to program a set from peak time to rolling grooves never fails to keep dancers on the floor.

After a busy year in 2008 with successful releases on District of Corruption, Highgrade Digital and Bond Records, Simon is now set for a bright future as a permanent member of the Highgrade Records artist roster.